The Pearl

John Steinbeck · 1902–1968 · United States

Why it matters

A poor pearl diver finds a pearl 'as large as a sea-gull's egg' and watches greed, violence, and envy destroy everything it was supposed to buy. Steinbeck's short parable strips the American dream down to a folk tale's bones.

At a glance

A brief, simple parable structure in plain prose makes this Steinbeck's most accessible book.